23 October 2018 - The NHS’s bid to improve patient outcomes and save money by switching costly biological drugs for cheaper biosimilars reached a major milestone in October when adalimumab – which has the highest global turnover of any medicine – came off patent in Europe.
The NHS has already achieved savings of £210 million through the use of biosimilar medicines, according to recent figures for 2018/19, and it plans to widen the market further as adalimumab, which is used for a range of conditions, is opened up to competition from cheaper rivals.
Regional Medicines Optimisation Committees, which were launched last year, have been playing a pivotal role in working with NHS commissioners and providers on best value biologics and helping them to prepare for adalimumab’s patent expiry.